Saturday, December 31, 2011

I must admit that 2011 was quite a good year for my family even though there are so many in distress. Over the past 22 years we've experienced over seven years of unemployment so I know how difficult those times can be. Now my husband works extremely long hours but he is able to work from home and it is a good job and we are blessed.

Our little family -- my husband and myself and our two grown sons -- resettled in Lake Havasu this year and it is wonderful to have all of us close together after many years of being spread out across the US.

My oldest son has experienced much improved health this year and is settled in here in his RV with his loving cat, Serena, and is busy at work making his yard a place of relaxation and enjoyment even though plants will not thrive in this harsh desert environment.

Our youngest son completely remodeled a home we bought for resale and is eagerly looking forward to our next one. We do have an offer pending and are waiting for the bank's appraisal any moment.

He's turning 39 today -- Happy Birthday, Jeff!

He was born during an ice storm and blizzard in on New Year's Eve in New England. It took three hours to get to the hospital -- normally a ten minute drive! I guess the long labor I experienced was a good thing or he would have been born in a cold car on an icy street!

We've had our ups and down throughout the year but I choose to be thankful for all we've been given and all we have to look forward to this coming year. May you and your family experience joy and peace in 2012.

Monday, December 26, 2011

If you live in Arizona you know that rain is rather scant. We are in our "rainy" season now and it has rained a few days and we even had snow on this mountain a couple of weeks ago.

It's entirely within the realm of possibility that a waterfall might have water running over it.

So we all got together yesterday morning and went out to the desert to do some target practice and then decided to take a trek into the back country to see the waterfall. Beautiful quiet area --

One son, his girlfriend, and my husband went in her Jeep and my other son and I had his Dodge Dakota. The road was a bit rocky -- to say the least --

Actually looking at this picture it's hard to tell where the "road" actually is but we finally arrived to see the waterfall -- Arizona style!

Yep, that's it -- we're actually standing in the riverbed -- come to find out that's what the road is as well so if there's water in coming over the waterfall more than likely you don't want to be in the riverbed.

Beautiful place and we enjoyed it anyway even without water -- nice family day.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

1600 miles in 10 days and I only went from Havasu to Phoenix to Tucson and return -- twice!

Had a wonderful visit with my best friend in Tucson and got to bring her back to Havasu with me to visit with the rest of the family. Now it's back to the real world -- no more running around.

Good news! We have an offer on the house and the gentleman is pushing for a quick closing. So we'll be putting the new pool liner in and saying goodbye to this first venture about the same time. From what I understand the pool company has removed the liner entirely and is getting ready to do the prep work -- I haven't seen it yet but will get up there tomorrow to see what it looks like.

Glad to be back home and out of the car although my car is extremely comfortable and easy to drive for long distances. Think I'm spoiled and will always want a Cadillac ... big, heavy and comfy and a joy to drive. "Betty" is 14 years old but her looks don't match her age.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

We put a quail block in the backyard and FINALLY we have quail visiting. They come as a whole community and shoo off the bigger birds until they have finished feasting.

This little fellow decided to perch on a branch of the asparagus fern just below where his feeder is located.

It was early morning and very chilly and I was just in my pj's coming into the kitchen when I spied him. So I slowly ventured outside (shivering) and he let me walk right up to him and take his picture.

Packing again -- just off to Phoenix and then Tucson for a few days to visit friends.

Oh, I finally found a little swivel rocker that just barely fits in a tiny space between the bed and outside wall in my guest room. It's a sunny room most of the day and a place I wanted to be able to cozy up and read -- and now I can!

There is no room here for a little table so I use a small stainless steel tray to hold my teacup and snack.

This is where I'll spend many winter afternoon hours ... cozy and warm ... and lost in whatever I'm reading at the moment.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

When my boys were young and I was trying to instill in them a sense of their need to pray and connect with their Heavenly Father, I gave them this example.

When they were at play and hurt themselves they would cry for Mama to come and help them, to make whatever boo-boo had occurred feel better. And Mama came quickly because she knew and loved her boys.

Then I likened this story to their budding relationship with God who was their Heavenly Father and always wanted to take care of them. But they needed to keep the lines of communication open so He would know who they were.

Back then, before cell phones, if someone were stranded and needed help they would call family or friends "collect" and the called party had to accept charges for the call before you could be connected. If you called someone who did not know you, most likely they would not accept and pay for your call.

In the same way my boys needed to maintain a close relationship with God by talking to Him every day so that when they were in need of His immediate help they could call on Him and He would accept their call because He knew them as His own.

Even as adults, actually -- especially as adults -- in this chaotic, topsy-turvy world we, too, need to maintain that relationship with our Father because we will have many times when we need to call on Him and we never want to hear "I never knew you." (Matthew 7:21-24)

May your hotline to your Father be always alive and in good repair for the times of your life when you need Him.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Well, the termites should be dead -- and the garage is back to better than before. There is more than enough room now for my hubby's Mercury.

And my car has its own space close to the kitchen door so I can easily unload the groceries.

And the storage shelves are more accessible. As you can see to the right of the shelving we still have a couple of items to sell -- the small kitchen dining set and the glass topped coffee and end tables.

All in all a job well done and glad to have it finished.

Our winter friends have been arriving in the yard and they are a joy to watch. This little fellow has taken up daily residence on this pole. He sips from the feeder, then perches on the pole and watches all the other birds in the yard with an eagle eye occasionally flapping his wings just for show I guess.

We set out a quail block and for the first week had only a miscellany of both large and small birds descending upon it with no quails in sight although they had been running through the yard for months before.

Finally they've decided this block was set out especially for them and they descended as a community and frantically chipped away at the goodies. I can sit at the dining room table and watch them in their antics. We counted 22 at one time yesterday afternoon.

The wonderful balmy fall weather we've been experiencing suddenly departed and we've been dumped wholly into winter. Wednesday night the winds started howling and continued all through the night with rain and we woke up to 44 degree weather. Brrrrrr -- this is Arizona after all and although we're from New England, we're not used to this anymore. Friday we had snow on our mountain and hopefully that's where it stays.

Time for Chocolate Turkeys this afternoon when we play cards. That's Wild Turkey bourbon and hot chocolate ... yum, yum and warms your tummy and toes.

Blessings on your weekend ... may it be peaceful and warming to your soul,